The present invention relates to a double-bearing reel in which a level winder is made in a unit construction. There is known a double-bearing reel having a level winder for uniformly winding a fishing line onto a spool in parallel, as disclosed, for instance, by Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. Hei. 1-44062.
The level winder disclosed in the above-noted Publication includes a worm shaft which is coupled to a take-up driving mechanism to rotate in conjunction therewith, a guide tube having a slit, and a fishing line guide that reciprocates along the slit of the guide tube as the worm shaft rotates and has a mating opening through which the guide is fitted around the guide tube. The level winder unit is installed between side plates.
However, such level winder requires troublesome manners when being incorporated or assembled into the reel body. That is to say, first laterally inserting the guide tube through openings formed in the respective side plates and simultaneously through the fishing line guide while holding the fishing line guide between the side plates to install the guide tube, then inserting the worm shaft into the guide tube and retaining it in place with a removal preventive means, and thereafter fitting a pin for mating the fishing line guide with the guide slot of the worm shaft. Consequently, a fishing reel having such level winder requires troublesome and time-consumptive manners when being assembled in a production line and disassembled-reassembled for maintenance.